Ancient Khiva in Khiva, Uzbekistan

Khiva Wall

According to writing sources and architectural materials Khiva is rather young city, but archaeological data testifies to the fact that the city was one of the centers of ancient Khorezm. The Arabs conquered this Khorezmland in the 8th century and made it a part of the Islamic world. In the 9th-13th centuries, the state of Khorezmshahs arose in Khorezm and was crushed by the Mongols in the 13th century. In the 14th - 15th centuries Khorezm was a part of the Temurid state, and in the 16th century it was separated by Chinggizid khans. In the 17th century the Amu Darya River changed its crease and Khiva became the center of the oasis and the capital of a khanate. The Khiva khan was dethroned in 1920 and Khiva Republic was formed. It was annexed to the USSR in 1925 and Khiva became an administrative unite of Uzbekistan.